US orders military families to leave parts of Turkey

Washington: The US military said on Tuesday it has ordered the families of its personnel to leave parts of southern Turkey over "continued security concerns in the region."

Families of personnel stationed in Adana - including at Incirlik air base, used heavily in the fight against Islamic State militants - Izmir, and Mugla have been ordered to leave, the statement from US European Command said. The decision was authorized by US Defense Secretary Ash Carter.

"We understand this is disruptive to our military families, but we must keep them safe and ensure the combat effectiveness of our forces to support our strong ally Turkey in the fight against terrorism," General Philip M Breedlove, commander of US European Command, said in the statement.

The ordered departures do not indicate a decision to permanently end families` presence at military facilities in southern Turkey, the statement said.